Border Patrol Agents Recruited by Contractor, Sent to Iraq

"The pay is tempting, but the mission is tough -- helping to stop illegal immigrants from crossing a long, rugged and remote border. But the border in question isn't between the United States and Mexico or Canada. It's in Iraq. At a time when federal officials are stressing the need to beef up U.S. border security, the State Department has hired a firm to recruit veteran law officers who will serve as 'mentors' and train Iraqis to guard their borders," the Houston Chronicle reports. "DynCorp International launched the effort this month to recruit officers with border security experience. The job begins in May and lasts for one year, a spokesman for the company said. The compensation includes more than $134,000 in salary, tax-free. There also is a $25,000 bonus for signing up in time for a May 5 training session. A DynCorp official said the company is 'not necessarily trying to raid the Border Patrol.' At any rate, the loss of 120 agents would hardly be a major blow to U.S. border security efforts, since the agency has about 13,000 officers. But the recruiting drive comes as the Border Patrol is working to fulfill a mandate from President Bush to increase its ranks to 18,000 by the end of 2008."

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